Long Island Medical Doctor Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Operating Oxycodone Pill Mill Out of her Great Neck Office

Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Dr. Roya Jafari-Hassad was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 7 years' imprisonment for prescribing oxycodone pills without a legitimate medical purpose and fraudulently billing insurance providers for procedures which were never performed. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Brown imposed a fine of $150,000, and ordered Jafari-Hassad to pay restitution in the amount of $152,765. The defendant was convicted at trial in December 2024 of eight counts of prescribing oxycodone pills without a legitimate medical purpose. The defendant subsequently pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud in April 2025.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino III, Associate Chief of Operations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Northeast Region, and Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General's Office of Investigations, New York Region (HHS-OIG), announced the sentence.

"Dr. Jafari-Hassad used her medical practice to deal drugs, a disgraceful betrayal of her doctor's oath to do no harm," stated United States Attorney Nocella. "Today's sentence holds her accountable for capitalizing on her patients' dangerous opioid addictions to enrich herself. "A jail term and serious financial penalties should serve as a warning to other healthcare professionals, that when they unlawfully prioritize profit over patient well-being, they will be brought to justice."

United States Attorney Nocella also expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department for their assistance in this case.

"Today's sentencing is a significant step for the DEA and our law enforcement partners pursuit of those health care professionals who exacerbate the ongoing healthcare crisis by prescribing dangerous and addictive opioids just for profit" stated DEA Associate Chief of Operations Tarentino. "Dr Jafari-Hassad knew the harmful effects opioids could have on her patients and yet she chose to jeopardize their health by turning her medical office into a modern-day pill mill."

"The illegal prescribing practices for which this doctor was convicted and sentenced, were especially egregious and contributed to fueling the opioid epidemic," stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Gruchacz. "HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable."

As proved at trial and set forth in court filings, the defendant was a licensed physician who provided medical services to patients from offices located in Great Neck, Forest Hills, Queens and Manhattan, New York. From approximately January 2019 through May 2022, the defendant charged her patients hundreds of dollars in cash in exchange for monthly prescriptions of oxycodone - a potent, highly addictive and frequently abused controlled substance - with no legitimate medical purpose. At times, the defendant provided these prescriptions to patients without even seeing them for an appointment; rather, their payment information would be obtained, and their prescription immediately refilled. The defendant made an estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, solely from these payments. She also submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and private benefit programs for medical services that were not rendered, and charged insurance companies - and was, in turn, paid for - services that she did not provide.

The government's case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office's Long Island Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles P. Kelly and Katherine Onyshko are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder and Victim-Witness Specialist Stephanie Marroquin.

The Defendant:

ROYA JAFARI-HASSAD
Age: 59
Bayside, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-545 (S-2) (GRB)